Tonight’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash between the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium is a call to arms for the players wearing the Black and White jersey.
Motivation for this match is high and for Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach John Plumtree, it’s not about what he says to them to get them excited, but how the players get into the right frame of mind.
“They need to be self-motivated, they must have a ‘why’. Individually they must bring their own why to the party. Why are they here? Why do they want to play in this jersey? Why do they need to impress?
“That’s all part of being a professional rugby player.”
After four victories on the trot across the two competitions, it’s about maintaining winning momentum ahead of the EPCR Challenge Cup semi-final in a few weeks’ time.
“There are a lot of changes, we’re playing against one of the best sides in the competition at their home, so it’s a massive challenge for the group I’ve selected.
“But they’re looking forward to it,” Plumtree said.
“There’s a mix of senior players with quite a few young guys as well and we’ve had a nice build-up. This is an opportunity for some guys who haven’t played for a while and I’m looking forward to seeing how these guys play in a tough environment against a really quality team. We also want these guys to put pressure on me around selection for the Scarlets game next week and the EPCR Challenge Cup semi.”
One of these is eighthman Nick Hatton who gets an opportunity to impress from the base of the scrum on his debut at this level.
“Nick is someone we’ve brought through the system, he’s come through the age group levels and he’s a talented young player. I’ve only seen him play a couple of times and certainly not at this level, and I hope he enjoys this experience, gets to express his skills.
“I know he’s really excited about this opportunity and if this is a young loose forward who impresses me and comes through, then it’s great for us. I’m really keen to bring through some of these young players from a good under 21 team that JP Pietersen is coaching and Nick is one of them.
“We’ve had a good week and it will be interesting to see how we get on. The players are really excited and looking forward to it, we know what a challenge it is for us. The vibe in the camp has been good, they want to get out there and have a go and what a challenge against Glasgow who haven’t been beaten at home in two years I think.”
Glasgow will present a huge challenge. They’re currently second on the log and they boast an admirable home record on their 5g artificial pitch.
“They definitely use it to their advantage, which is no different to us using the heat in Durban as our advantage. They have something going here that is really working for them.
“There’s a lot of Scottish internationals in their team, a lot of good players, so a really good measuring stick for some of the boys to see where they’re at.
“They’re also a quality side in terms of their talent and they play a game a lot different to the other teams. They keep the ball for long periods of time, their attack stats are right at the top of the rankings around ball carries and metres gained. They keep possession for long periods of time and favour ball in hand rather than kicking.
“It’s going to be a real test for our defence because they don’t mind playing behind the gain line and building pressure there and they have quality skillsets amongst their backs.”
The match is scheduled for an 8.35pm kick-off.
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